In general, a smart card comprises a card body in the form of a plane card of plastics material having a rectangular outline, together with an electronic module carried by the body, the module comprising a processor associated with memory means, together with electrical contacts that are flush with one of the faces of the card body.
Such a card is used in particular in applications that require a high level of security, such as for example applications of the bank payment card type. Such a card may also be used for constituting an identity badge, a transport ticket, etc., likewise implying a high degree of security.
Various pieces of information are then printed on each face of the card body, this information generally including a hologram, a card number, etc. Furthermore, the data stored in the electronic module is protected by various digital encryption techniques.
One known fraud consists in devising a pirate electronic module and in fastening it to a card body that has been used but that is authentic, so as to have a fraudulent bank card having the external appearance of a normal bank card. The fraudster can then hand the card over to a trader in order to make a payment, and the trader has no way of detecting that the electronic module carried by the card body is in fact a pirate module.
Under such circumstances, the fraudster can make payments without being troubled by the traders to whom the card is shown or given in order to make those payments.
Another fraud consists in using an authentic module with a card body that is fraudulent. The card body then carries the name of the pirate, but the chip in fact belongs to a bank card belonging to some other person, thus enabling the pirate to make purchases that are debited to the account of that other person.